hh T Aai 
adsl 
RTE THE MOTTLED OWL. 
young under her: the latter were quite young, yet had the 
reddish tinge wherever the down was superseded by feathers. 
I stuffed one of them and kept the other three four months, 
when it was difficult to distinguish them from the adult bird. 
From the above it is evident that there are two adults, at 
least from three to five years oid, the one red without a 
gray feather; the other gray without the slightest shade of 
red; also, the young of each before they could fly, one pure 
gray and white without a red feather, the other with a red 
dish tinge to all the feathers. These facts I am unable to 
reconcile unless it is admitted that the color of the plumage 
is either “variable and uncertain,” or else, that there are two 
distinct species as described by Wilson in his American Ow 
nithology. 
In the fall of 1860 I wrote to my friend, Dr. S. W. wk 
son, St. Simon’s Island, Geo., who is an experienced omnis 
thologist, and who has an extensive aviary, relating af i 
investigations, and soliciting his observations as to 
identity or non-identity of the Mottled and Red Ovis, ai i 
received the following reply: “Iwill as far as Į am 
dispose of the Owl question. I feel that I can speak 
authoritatively in the matter from the number of = : 
‘tions I have made of each species. Fortunately, boii 
species to which you refer are abundant here, and I have 
hesitation ìn saying that Wilson described them acet 
and subsequent naturalists have erred in consideri 
under one species. I have observed the old owls an 
species feeding their young, noticed the change of pl 
in the latter, and have on many occasions taken 
hollow to secure their eggs, and have invar iably fo 
species red, the other gray.” 
-As the habits, manner of nesting, and nppearane me 
eggs are the same in both stages of plumage, or in po : 
species, the same general description will suffice yore : 
th. The Little aio edik as it is commonly ol 
found more or less numerous in a of thee 











